Campaign Guidelines

For candidates running for Council Committees, such as Discipline, Professional, Resolutions or as CTF Delegate, you have one opportunity to submit your Campaign Information for inclusion in The Teacher.Please forward to phamer@staff.nstu.ca:

The deadline is March 30th for the April 10th edition of The Teacher.

Please peruse the Guidelines below for specifics for each opportunity.

From the NSTU Constitution

8. Committee Campaign Guidelines

In respect of electoral campaigns for committees elected at Council, the following guidelines shall apply:

(a) Active campaigning within the Council Chambers is prohibited. Passive campaign activity within the Council Chambers is permitted;

(b) Locals are prohibited from directly making any monetary or non-monetary contribution to any candidate’s campaign. Such contributions do not include expenditure of funds designated for the Local (e.g. Local meeting room at Annual Council). (2013-4)

(c) Campaign spending by or on behalf of each candidate may not exceed $100. Such expenses are the sole responsibility of the candidate.

(d) All candidates must submit an approved financial statement report form to the Annual Council Elections Committee within sixty (60) days from the conclusion of Annual Council. This statement is to include a list of all contributions with non-monetary items being assessed at dollar value, and an itemized list of expenditures;

(e) The Annual Council Elections Committee shall refer the financial statements of candidates to the Provincial Executive for review. These financial statements will be published in The Teacher.

(f) Publicity:
Each candidate is permitted to insert in an issue of The Teacher prior to Council:

(a) One head and shoulder photograph of himself/herself;

(b) Biography of personal, educational and career achievements, of no more than 150 words;

(c) A personally prepared platform of objectives, no more than 300 words in length.

(g) Items must be sent to The Teacher fifteen (15) working days before publication and these will appear in alphabetical order.

(h) Paid advertisements in any medium (press, radio, TV, The Teacher) are prohibited.

(i) The number of campaign posters and/or banners on display in the hotel at Annual Council may not exceed a total of twenty-five (25) for each candidate. When Annual Council is held at a facility where Local delegates are divided between two facilities, the number of posters will be increased to thirty-five (35). A campaign poster shall include any poster, banner or sign posted by or for a member running for an elected position that makes a reference to the candidate and/or the position being sought. (2011-9)

(j) Upon request, each candidate shall be given a list of the room numbers at the main facility used by NSTU delegates, alternates, official observers and guests once delegates have been accommodated. Distribution of campaign materials to rooms shall be limited to those rooms so identified. Such identification shall not allow the name of the occupant of the room to be determined.

9. General Campaign Guidelines - Active and Passive Campaigning

With respect to all elections, the following definitions shall apply:

(a) Active campaigning shall be considered any display or action that involves the presentation of partisan information in a manner that is difficult for a group of delegates to avoid. Examples of such active campaigning include the display of campaign posters,, the shouting of campaign slogans, shouting out in support of a candidate other than during the normal address to delegates, distributing materials throughout Council chambers including the placing of campaign materials anywhere within Council chambers prior to, during or following a Council session, and demonstrations in support of a given candidate. (2011-13)

(b) Passive campaigning shall be considered any display or action that is observable only by people in the immediate vicinity of the campaign material and involves no explicit action to promote or advance those materials at the time at which the material is seen or heard. Examples of such passive campaigning include the use of writing materials containing references to a candidate, the wearing of campaign clothing, buttons or ornaments, and the presence of a single copy of a candidate’s campaign literature at the delegate’s seat and table spot. (2011-12)

(c) A candidate or representative of the candidate is permitted to place up to one (1) item per delegate per session at the tables in Council chambers prior to the start of the session. This would replace campaign material distribution at other times. A candidate would still be permitted to greet delegates as they enter Council chambers. (2011-10)

(d) In the event that campaigning for any other NSTU election takes place during Council, the guidelines for the Council Committee election campaigns applicable to the conduct of the campaign during Council, shall apply.

(e) Active campaigning for election to a position not related to the structure of the NSTU is prohibited.